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Anti-smoking campaign working: Calma

Bonny Symons-Brown

The federal government's indigenous anti-smoking co-ordinator says a campaign designed to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to butt out is working.

The government has channelled more than $800 million into its indigenous chronic disease package, aimed at closing the life expectancy gap between black and white Australia.

Tom Calma, along with Indigenous Health Minister Warren Snowdon and Health Minister Nicola Roxon, met with some of the 355 health staff funded under the program in Canberra on Wednesday.

It was the first time so much money had been invested in stamping out the biggest killer of indigenous people, he said.

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"The focus is on prevention, it's on reduction and it's on cessation," he told reporters at Parliament House.

"We're not expecting overnight successes although we are seeing them already."

Tharawal Aboriginal Medical Service worker Kerryanne White, who spends her time in the Liverpool, Wollondilly, Camden and Macarthur communities in western Sydney, said of the 32 people who had signed up to the anti-smoking campaign she was running, eight had quit in the six months since it started.

The rest were still contemplating kicking their habits.

"It's good to have that idea in the back of their head," she said.

"The ball's in their court, that's what I say, when they are ready I am there for them."

Ms White said she was especially targeting young social smokers between 12 to 21 who hadn't yet formed serious habits.

Ms Roxon said Labor was committed to cutting the indigenous smoking rate of around 50 per cent in half by 2018.

"We reckon we can reach that target because of the very heavy investment we're making," she said.